Kim Jong Un reportedly in “Grave Danger” after surgery.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Kim Yo-jong, his sister, is the closest thing to an heir he has. Not good news for North Korea if true.

From a Guardian article published just yesterday:

As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic – with Pyongyang continuing to insist it has not recorded a single case – Kim Yo-jong’s ascendancy continues.

Last month, she made her first public statement, condemning the South as a “frightened dog barking” after Seoul protested against a live-fire military exercise by the North. And in March, she publicly praised Donald Trump for sending Kim a letter in which he said he hoped to maintain good bilateral relations and offered help in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

The publication of political statements in Kim Yo-jong’s name underlines her central role in the regime, according to Youngshik Bong, a research fellow at Yonsei University’s Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul. “It is revealing that Kim Jong-un permitted her to write and announce a scathing statement about South Korea in such a personal tone,” Bong said. “He is clearly ready to allow his sister to become his alter ego.”

A ruthless dictator woman would be an interesting change of pace. Also, she's younger than I am, and I haven't managed to oppress anyone yet

Indira Gandhi (or her ghost, anyway) says hi

I don't think Indira qualifies as a dictator, outside of the 2 year period of Emergency (which she willingly ended and put herself at the mercy of the electorate's wimbs afterwards). But she certainly came closer to qualifying for the label of 'ruthless dictator woman' than most other politicians over the past 50 years.
Ironically among the top candidates might be Sheikh Hasina in neighboring Bangladesh.

Well yeah, its that which I was thinking of rather. And its fair to say she was forced into that election rather than happily agreeing to it out of the goodness of her heart

I would argue that Sheikh Hasina in general has behaved more dictator-like over the course of her political career taken together, than Indira. And for that matter a good argument might exist for Khaleda Zia as well.
(I'm open to being convinced otherwise)

[Helsinkian]

His sister is heir, right?

Supposedly given that the recent shake up in the leadership cabinet pushed out who we believe to be the second in command(s).

Would they let a woman be Supreme Leader?

First Female Dictator Hailed As Step Forward For Women (The Onion, YouTube)

[The Dowager Mod]

Newspapers had big bold headlines announcing Kim Il Sung's death 8 years before he actually dropped dead.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Newspapers had big bold headlines announcing Kim Il Sung's death 8 years before he actually dropped dead.

I guess you could say reports of Kim Il Sung's death were greatly exagerated.

[CumbrianLefty]

Newspapers had big bold headlines announcing Kim Il Sung's death 8 years before he actually dropped dead.

In 1986 presumably, wasn't that some sort of (still murky) coup attempt?

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Newspapers had big bold headlines announcing Kim Il Sung's death 8 years before he actually dropped dead.

Check your sources, TG.

Great Leader and Eternal President Kim-Il-Sung will never die.  He will live on in perpetuity and lead the revolution to smite the imperialist American aggressors. 

[Orwell]

Newspapers had big bold headlines announcing Kim Il Sung's death 8 years before he actually dropped dead.

Check your sources, TG.

Great Leader and Eternal President Kim-Il-Sung will never die.  He will live on in perpetuity and lead the revolution to smite the imperialist American aggressors. 

Finally, another patriot in this thread who hasn't succumbed to the lies and evil of the American imperialists and the counter-revolutionaries. Chairman Kim is in perfect health, and the Eternal President Kim-Il-Sung watches over us, as he was born on Korea's tallest peak from there you can see the entirety of his empire in Korea. Long may the Eternal President reign comrade.

[Kingpoleon]

Isabel Perón was the first female dictator, FYI.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Isabel Perón was the first female dictator, FYI.

Don't think she qualifies.

[Arizona Iced Tea]

Anyone got some theories? I feel like this might be some sympathy ploy and make the dear leader look heroic when he "recovers".

[jaymichaud]

Remember when we all thought KJU was dead?

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Newspapers had big bold headlines announcing Kim Il Sung's death 8 years before he actually dropped dead.

Check your sources, TG.

Great Leader and Eternal President Kim-Il-Sung will never die.  He will live on in perpetuity and lead the revolution to smite the imperialist American aggressors.  

Finally, another patriot in this thread who hasn't succumbed to the lies and evil of the American imperialists and the counter-revolutionaries. Chairman Kim is in perfect health, and the Eternal President Kim-Il-Sung watches over us, as he was born on Korea's tallest peak from there you can see the entirety of his empire in Korea. Long may the Eternal President reign comrade.

Actually (yes, I'm actually-ing my own joke), the propaganda around KIS was that he was born into a poor family in a small village.  He left this village as a young man to avenge the atrocities committed against his family by the occupying Japanese.  This is probably the part of the story that's the most realistic and backed up by some level of historical evidence and, to his credit, he played a big part in fighting the Japanese until their surrender to the Allies in 1945. 

You're thinking of KJI's origin story with regards to the mountain (DPRK claims he was born on sacred Mount Paektu; records indicate he was born in the Soviet Union).

Legend has it that when KJI was born, a new star took its place in the sky and all of the snow melted before blooming into flowers.  When he died, a massive earthquake cracked the ice on the mountain's lake.  

Not sure why I paid so much attention in the class I took during my undergrad on the DPRK, but it was SUPER interesting.  

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Kim Jong-il was quite an OC-esque character, not needing to go to the bathroom, getting by on one bowl of ride during the Arduous March, being a worldwife fashion icon and a film expert extraordinaire, just to name these few examples. However, he was also a bit of an authoritarian launching NUT rockets and never lived under the surface of Lake Michigan.

[PSOL]

Kim Jong-il was quite an OC-esque character, not needing to go to the bathroom, getting by on one bowl of ride during the Arduous March, being a worldwife fashion icon and a film expert extraordinaire, just to name these few examples. However, he was also a bit of an authoritarian launching NUT rockets and never lived under the surface of Lake Michigan.

More importantly he was an awful narcissist that is the main reason for why North Korea is like it is.

[Lincoln Republican]

If he passes-away, trump will be the only leader of the free-world, to go to his funeral.
Wait ... you'll see.

Yes, Trump will be delivering a eulogy.

[KaiserDave]

Newspapers had big bold headlines announcing Kim Il Sung's death 8 years before he actually dropped dead.

Check your sources, TG.

Great Leader and Eternal President Kim-Il-Sung will never die.  He will live on in perpetuity and lead the revolution to smite the imperialist American aggressors.  

Finally, another patriot in this thread who hasn't succumbed to the lies and evil of the American imperialists and the counter-revolutionaries. Chairman Kim is in perfect health, and the Eternal President Kim-Il-Sung watches over us, as he was born on Korea's tallest peak from there you can see the entirety of his empire in Korea. Long may the Eternal President reign comrade.

Actually (yes, I'm actually-ing my own joke), the propaganda around KIS was that he was born into a poor family in a small village.  He left this village as a young man to avenge the atrocities committed against his family by the occupying Japanese.  This is probably the part of the story that's the most realistic and backed up by some level of historical evidence and, to his credit, he played a big part in fighting the Japanese until their surrender to the Allies in 1945. 

You're thinking of KJI's origin story with regards to the mountain (DPRK claims he was born on sacred Mount Paektu; records indicate he was born in the Soviet Union).

Legend has it that when KJI was born, a new star took its place in the sky and all of the snow melted before blooming into flowers.  When he died, a massive earthquake cracked the ice on the mountain's lake.  

Not sure why I paid so much attention in the class I took during my undergrad on the DPRK, but it was SUPER interesting.  

Someone else into DPRK stuff? Yes!

[Progressive Pessimist]

Whoever the surgeon was that operated on him here really ought to be coming up with a plan to leave the country if they knew what was good for them.

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

His son is ~10, so let his sister serve as regent for a decade or so, and then his son formally takes over?

Alternatively, does China take this opportunity to get rid of the Kims and Juche and install a Chinese-style Communist government that becomes a lockstep puppet?

I, for one, welcome this opportunity to let us re-live the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in real time. Just send in some obese warlord from the countryside and let him "advise" Lil' Supremo Bambino.

The Orange Clown would kill to have the ability to be anointed King and have Trump Jr take over when he dies.

[QAnonKelly]

Whoever the surgeon was that operated on him here really ought to be coming up with a plan to leave the country if they knew what was good for them.

SK will take any NK citizen in as a refugee and give them citizenship, seems like a good plan to me.

[PSOL]

Whoever the surgeon was that operated on him here really ought to be coming up with a plan to leave the country if they knew what was good for them.

SK will take any NK citizen in as a refugee and give them citizenship, seems like a good plan to me.

The problem is that they give these refugees very little support materially or socially to integrate into wider society, forcing most of them into poverty. Sad but true.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Sirimavo Bandaranaike in Ceylon/Sri Lanka did some pretty authoritarian things but she left office after being defeated in an election twice and never even temporarily took unilateral authority as a dictator like Indira Gandhi did, so probably not a citable citable example. Although if she had not been defeated and remained in power in 1965 ending up a de facto dictator seems pretty plausible.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Newspapers had big bold headlines announcing Kim Il Sung's death 8 years before he actually dropped dead.

Check your sources, TG.

Great Leader and Eternal President Kim-Il-Sung will never die.  He will live on in perpetuity and lead the revolution to smite the imperialist American aggressors.  

Finally, another patriot in this thread who hasn't succumbed to the lies and evil of the American imperialists and the counter-revolutionaries. Chairman Kim is in perfect health, and the Eternal President Kim-Il-Sung watches over us, as he was born on Korea's tallest peak from there you can see the entirety of his empire in Korea. Long may the Eternal President reign comrade.

Actually (yes, I'm actually-ing my own joke), the propaganda around KIS was that he was born into a poor family in a small village.  He left this village as a young man to avenge the atrocities committed against his family by the occupying Japanese.  This is probably the part of the story that's the most realistic and backed up by some level of historical evidence and, to his credit, he played a big part in fighting the Japanese until their surrender to the Allies in 1945. 

You're thinking of KJI's origin story with regards to the mountain (DPRK claims he was born on sacred Mount Paektu; records indicate he was born in the Soviet Union).

Legend has it that when KJI was born, a new star took its place in the sky and all of the snow melted before blooming into flowers.  When he died, a massive earthquake cracked the ice on the mountain's lake.  

Not sure why I paid so much attention in the class I took during my undergrad on the DPRK, but it was SUPER interesting.  

Someone else into DPRK stuff? Yes!

Cool! There's three of us now.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Newspapers had big bold headlines announcing Kim Il Sung's death 8 years before he actually dropped dead.

Check your sources, TG.

Great Leader and Eternal President Kim-Il-Sung will never die.  He will live on in perpetuity and lead the revolution to smite the imperialist American aggressors.  

Finally, another patriot in this thread who hasn't succumbed to the lies and evil of the American imperialists and the counter-revolutionaries. Chairman Kim is in perfect health, and the Eternal President Kim-Il-Sung watches over us, as he was born on Korea's tallest peak from there you can see the entirety of his empire in Korea. Long may the Eternal President reign comrade.

Actually (yes, I'm actually-ing my own joke), the propaganda around KIS was that he was born into a poor family in a small village.  He left this village as a young man to avenge the atrocities committed against his family by the occupying Japanese.  This is probably the part of the story that's the most realistic and backed up by some level of historical evidence and, to his credit, he played a big part in fighting the Japanese until their surrender to the Allies in 1945. 

You're thinking of KJI's origin story with regards to the mountain (DPRK claims he was born on sacred Mount Paektu; records indicate he was born in the Soviet Union).

Legend has it that when KJI was born, a new star took its place in the sky and all of the snow melted before blooming into flowers.  When he died, a massive earthquake cracked the ice on the mountain's lake.  

Not sure why I paid so much attention in the class I took during my undergrad on the DPRK, but it was SUPER interesting.  

Someone else into DPRK stuff? Yes!

Cool! There's three of us now.

Can I join too? I find NK fairly interesting and I want to diversify my Asian interest further.

[Former President tack50]

Not sure why I paid so much attention in the class I took during my undergrad on the DPRK, but it was SUPER interesting.  

This is 100% off-topic, but weren't you a medical student? Why were you taking classes on the DPRK in college?

[CumbrianLefty]

Anyway, anything more about these rumours emerged yet?